Racial Health Disparities and the Role of Education

This paper explores whether — and the degree to which — Black-White health disparities can be accounted for by educational attainment gaps. Part I reviews evidence on the causal effects of educational policies on health behaviors and outcomes. Many of these policies have demonstrated significant long-term health benefits, particularly for disadvantaged populations, though the effects are heterogeneous. Part II discusses whether the health benefits of education vary by race, reviewing theories of structural inequalities that posit that minorities benefit less from education. Part III analyzes data from the National Health Interview Survey to quantify the educational gradient in health across racial groups. We find that the health returns to education are not uniformly lower for Blacks compared to Whites. Our findings emphasize the importance of addressing educational disparities to improve health equity.